2nd Series All Ireland Finals
Keady Tassagh, County Armagh
01st & 02nd August
Saturday 01st August
U16 Boys
@11.00am Jack Allen (Munster) vs Johnny Campbell (Ulster)
Winner: Johnny Campbell (Ulster)
Intermediate Ladies
@12.30pm Lilly O’ Rourke (Ulster) vs Ailbhe O’ Shea (Munster)
Winner: Ailbhe O' Shea (Munster)
Junior B Mens
@3.00pm Ger Connolly (Munster) vs Ruairi O’ Reilly (Ulster)
Winner: Ruairi O' Reilly (Ulster)
Sunday 02nd August
Veteran Mens
@11.00am Eoin O’ Riordan (Munster) vs Johnny Kelly (Ulster)
Winner: Eoin O' Riordan (Munster)
U16 Girls
@12.30pm Méabh Cuinnea (Munster) vs. Connie Mallon (Ulster)
Winner: Connie Mallon (Ulster)
Senior Mens
@4.00pm Colm Rafferty (Ulster) vs. Arthur McDonagh
(Munster)
Winner: Arthur McDonagh (Munster)
COUNTY FIXTURES
Monday August 03rd
@ BAILE BHUIRNE @ 5.00pm Niv-C QF Don O' Driscoll (West) v Jamie Carroll (NE). @ 6.00pm Nov-D QF Brendan Dudley (West) v Robert Coleman (NE)
@ BALLINACURRA @ 11.00am Nov-A QF Stephen O' Connell (SW) v Garreth Burke (City)
Tuesday August 04th
@ LYRE @ 7.00pm U-12 FINAL Cait Young (West) v Ciara Harrington (Car). @ 8.00pm U-14 FINAL Aoife McCarthy (Car) v Ribyn O.Brien (Gael) or Nicola Hurley (West)
NEWS & RESULTS
ARTHUR MCDONAGH TOO STRONG FOR MURPHY IN MUNSTER DECIDER
Bowling Report - Week ending 26th July
Arthur McDonagh claimed the Munster Senior title with a commanding victory over Aidan Murphy, while Jack Allen, Meabh Cuinnea, Jimmy Collins and Ailbhie O'Shea were among the standout county champions.
Several winners secured places in upcoming All-Ireland finals, with impressive performances across senior, veteran, ladies and underage championships highlighting a busy weekend of road bowling.
The report also rounds up regional championship results and semi-finals, as bowlers from across Munster continued their pursuit of county and All-Ireland honours.
Our premier championship of the year, did not live up to expectation, Aidan Murphy and Arthur McDonagh both playing in their 5th Munster title, Murphy going for his 4th title and McDonagh his 3rd. It was McDonagh from the off. Murphy lined a huge 1st shot that McDonagh beat by twelve meters. Murphy's next two were not of Senior standard and McDonagh lined a phenomenal 3rd that beat Murphy‘s tip by a 100 meters. After two super bowls from McDonagh to the island he had a full bowl of odds. Murphy's right hand pull was playing havoc with him, he was hitting sops but spinning bowls off the road to the right. Two more to the Council yard and Murphy was keeping it to the bowl of odds. Murphy played a smashing ninth shot back of the Novice finish, it looked like knocking the bowl of odds and would have if McDonagh‘s bowl went in where it was played but it turned out right and beat the tip by 40 meters with the bowl of odds. Murphy's 10th shot went right and McDonagh covered a quarter mile of road with his 9th, Murphy did very well to beat this tip by 50 meters. An uncharacteristic error from McDonagh with his 10th he brought the bowl too far and it fell in right, only 20 meters in it now with the bowl. Murphy replied with another huge bowl to the piggeries but McDonagh was back in the grove and beat this tip by 40 meters with the bowl. A blunder from Murphy with his next and McDonagh punished him with a miler past O.Riada's Cross that raised the 2nd bowl of odds for him. Both missed sight for the finish in two more and McDonagh was crowned the winner and will now play the 2024 All-Ireland Senior winner Colm Rafferty at Tassagh Armagh on Sunday next. Colm beat his cousin Thomas Mackle in the Ulster final.
JACK CROWNED MUNSTER U-16 CHAMPION
From Baile Bhurine to Clondrohid for a double bill of boys and girls U16 county finals. First up we had the boys U16 where Culann Bourke who was also a finalist in the U-18 played Jack Allen from Newcestown. Allen’s first three bowls were all left but got incredible rubs so much so that he had a bowl of odds just short of Tier Beg Cross. He increased this after two more big bowls out sight at the Black House, Bourke made a bad blunder with his sixth shot from O’Leary’s pillars in right. Two more each to the Bell Inn where Allen’s odds was a bowl and fifty meters. Bourke knocked the bowl with a super ninth to the Grotto and knocked further odds over Kelly’s hump. Allen was too tight right at Kelly’s hump and only made the cottage, this gave Bourke a huge opportunity to open the bend before Kelleher’s farm in two, he got a super 11th shot to the end of the wall but his 12th veered off right and no sight. Allen had big odds here with two shots to go. Bourke played his last bowl very well but it came out of the right track and across left. Allen lined his last bowl well to win by big odds and now plays Johnny Campbell in the All-Ireland final next weekend.
CUINNEA WINS WITH AN INCREDIBLE FINISH IN U-16
In the return route the Girl’s U-16 was played between the U18 winner Meabh Cuinnea and Anna Deane for Coppeen. Cuinnea took the first two shots to the end of Kelleher’s Farm, Deane got a huge third shot out and around the Well Bend and straight road, Cuinnea followed this but fell short by 6 meters. Cuinnea got a short fourth and Deane put nice odds on this. At Kelly’s Hump on a very false and rough surface, Deane got an extraordinary bowl, it went all over the road but made the Bell Inn a huge shot. Cuinnea beat this tip by 2 meters in two shots to fall almost a bowl down. Two more each back of the Black House where Deane was throwing her odds with her 10th shot, she got another incredible bowl that raised the bowl fully for her as Cuinnea was too tight right. Cuinnea made Tier Beg cross and Deane put 40 meters on this with the bowl. Three poor bowls in succession all left from Deane and a huge 13th from Cuinnea knocked the bowl of odds by fifty meters, after another from Deane the odds were down to only 2 meters. Another rocket of a shot from Cuinnea towards the line won her back the lead by thirty meters. Deane missed the line and Cuinnea added the U16 county to her previously won U18 county, a feat achieved only once before by Hannah Sexton in 2018.
CLASSY PERFORMANCE FROM COLLINS IN NOVICE VETERAN DECIDER
Jimmy Collins, Union Hall put in a polished performance in the Novice Veteran county final at Inch, playing Liam Linehan, Berrings, they played for a stake of €3,550 a-side. Collins opened with an incredible first shot that yielded him almost two bowls of odds. Linehan got off to a very shaky start. It was an uphill battle for Linehan after going down such big odds so early in the score. Collins raised the two bowls of odds with his second shot and went out the bridge with his third, a feat not seen in Inch since the days of Dermot Sullivan, Billy Hurley and other good West Cork Junior A players. Collins out to the Ballabuidhe track entrance in two more and he raised another bowl of odds with a huge sixth shot. Linehan lined some good bowls but Collins covered each tip and ran out a convincing winner, he now plates the junior veteran winner Eoin O'Riordan for a place in the All-Ireland final on the August Bank Holiday weekend.
A FLAWLESS DISPLAY FROM O'SHEA BOOKS HER PLACE IN ALL-IRELAND
Ailbhie O’Shea from Coachford put in a flawless display at Ballinacarriga when she won the ladies Intermediate county final from Ellen Sexton at Ballinacarriga. Ellen is a seasoned county campaigner having won U12 in 2018, U14 & U16 in 2020, U18 in 2023 & 2024 and was an intermediate r-up in 2024 also. Ailbhie was not fazed by this having won a junior ladies county title herself in 2023. They played for a stake of €3,200 a-side, this was a trap to line victory for O’Shea. Sexton got off to the worst possible start both of her first bowls pulled right well back of Granure cross, where O’Shea was throwing her odds over thirty meters. After two more past McSweeney’s yard O’Shea raised a bowl of odds and extended this to a bowl and twenty meters at the GAA cross. Sexton missed out Lynch’s Bend in two more and O’Shea extended her odds to almost two bowls in seven excellent shots. There was no let-up from O’Shea when she opened the Creamery cross in two more and made the middle of the wall with her tenth shot and booked her place in the All-Ireland final on the August Bank Holiday Saturday against Lily O'Rourke.
O'RIORDAN A CHALLENGE TOO FAR FOR COLLINS
Jimmy Collins had a wonderful veteran championship season, but playing Eoin O’Riordan from Macroom 24 years his junior and two grades higher in the overall veteran final was a task too much for him at The Clubhouse. They played for a stake of €1,250 a-side. Collins took the first shot, his one and only fore bowl. Four and five shots each to the chip cross O’Riordan had a bowl of odds. O’Riordan buried his fifth in right and gave Collins a chance to get back into this score but he was left of play and only beat the tip by thirty meters. A misplaced seventh from O'Riordan gave Collins another chance but his bowl fell right and only beat the tip by forty meters. O’Riordan got a huge next through the rough surface at Clonakilty Cross and Collins' bowl slashed off right to fall a bowl down again. Collins got a good tenth shot to the hump and this knocked the bowl of odds again as O’Riordan misplaced his ninth in right but again he recovered with a well-played tenth well past Murray’s pillars that raised the bowl of odds again. He raised further odds with a smashing eleventh well past O’Riordan’s Cottage that he held to the end of the railings. Collins made back of the school cross and again O’Riordan misplaced his bowl and it was only the bare bowl of odds there. Collins got a good bowl past the School, but on this occasion it was not enough and O’Riordan won out in the end by a bowl of odds and now plays Johnny Kelly in the All-Ireland Veteran Final on Bank Holiday Sunday in Armagh.
The South West region completed their novice B championship at Timoleague between Jason Harrington, Kilbrittain and Timmie O’Sullivan, Shannonvale, playing for a stake of €1,220 a-side. Harrington had a bowl of odds after three shots out sight for the Cottage. O'Sullivan got an unreal fifth shot past the Cottage to the Guards house that Harrington beat by thirty meters. O’Sullivan got another big bowl over the hill and down towards Barryshall cross that gave him his first lead of the score by ten meters. Harrington was back in front after their ninth shots to the monument. O'Sullivan got a big bowl past the double gates and was back in front again as Harrington’s bowl turned in right, O'Sullivan extended his odds with his next three shots and raised a bowl with one shot to go. Harrinton put down a good last but not enough.
Evan Kelleher beat Patrick Moynahan in the Gaeltacht Nov-C final at Ballingeary, Eamonn Murphy beat Tommy O’Donoghue in the North Cork novice A final at Berrings playing for €380 a-side he won by one bowl of odds. John Cahalane won the Carbery Jun C from Denis O’Sullivan at Caheragh playing for €3,000 a-side. Brendan Dudley beat Davin Ross in the West Cork Nov D final at Togher Cross with no stake in this one. Niall Crowley beat Chris Cronin in the West Cork junior C final at Drimoleague. Conor Cotter beat Conor Kelleher in the Gaeltacht nov D final at Baile Bhuirne playing for €1,150 a-side. Conor Desmond won the Mid Cork novice D from Barry Murphy at Dunderrow playing for €1,550 a-side.
P.J. O’Driscoll won the South West novice C from Conor Sheehy at Grange playing for €450 a-side. David Crowley won the North Cork junior C from Mark Sheehan at Ballinagree playing for €1,000 a-side. Sindey Shannon Carbery beat Timmie Desmond from East Cork in the Novice B preliminary round at Castletown. Lilly McDonagh from Clondrohid beat Mia Murphy from Ballyclough in the girl’s U12 quarter final at Bweeng. Culann Bourke got through to his second county final with a win over Richard O’Driscoll (City) at Grenagh in the U16. Meabh Cuinnea is also through to her 2nd county final when she beat Jena Healy, Kilcorney in the U16 semi-final at Newcestown. Anna Deane from Coppeen will be Meabh Cuinnea’s opponent in the U16 final when she beat Abbie McDonnell in the U-16 semi-final at Macroom. Aoife McCarthy, Carbery beat Alisha Relihan, Fermoy in the girls U14 quarter final and Ciara Harrington, Carbery beat Abbie Walsh, City in the girls U12 quarter final both at Castletown
1st Series All Ireland Finals - Report
Ballinagree, County Cork
Saturday 11th & Sunday 12th July
All-Ireland Championship Drama, Triumphs and Heartbreak as Champions Are Crowned Across the Grades ALL-IRELAND FINAL HEARTBREAK FOR DARRAGH DEMPSEY & HANNAH SEXTON Disappointment for Darragh Dempsey in the Junior A All-Ireland when an old knee injury hampered his finish. Playing for a phenomenal stake of €30,000 a-side. Dempsey was in command from the off but failed on a few occasions to put the score beyond Gribben’s reach. After two each through An Capaillín Ban Cross Dempsey had ten meters of odds. A poor third and fourth from Gribben but Dempsey was not pulling away as he only held odds of forty meters. Gribben’s fifth was one of his better ones and Dempsey beat this again by the same margin. At the Pink Cottage, Dempsey put big odds on Gribben’s tip and looked to be after settling into this score. Past the Post Office in nine Dempsey held a hundred meter advantage and looked like no bowl to make sight for the Quay Wall. Gribben tenth bowl veered off right and missed out and Dempsey was also very right and now nothing separated them. Gribben went out sight of the Quay Wall and Dempsey cut the bend and got a valuable touch into the Quay Wall. Gribben could do very little from where he was, but he got a nice run off the right dyke, from here Dempsey’s trouble started as he pulled his hamstring with his next delivery and only beat the tip by six meters. What a misfortunate thing to happen in the last quarter of this epic junior A final. After some medical attention play continued, Gribben got a big bowl to the White Wall and Dempsey just could not run into his bowls and missed the tip to give Gribben his first lead, after two more there was almost a bowl of odds in it and Gribben raised the bowl at Robins Lock and beat the finish line with his next. MCDONAGH WINS U18 TITLE Munster took the opening two scores of the weekend when Méabh Cuinnea beat Megan O’Reilly and Gerald McDonagh beat Johnny Campbell both U-18. They both played very impressive scores. McDonagh got off to a scorching start raising a bowl of odds after three shots, he pushed this out to almost two bowls at the Post Office but from here Campbell played some perfect shots and McDonagh got a bit wayward and at the Quay Wall McDonagh had twenty five meters with the bowl. They matched each other’s shots up past the white wall but McDonagh got a huge rub with his seventeenth towards the village. He had big odds with the bowl at Robin’s Lock and beat the line comfortable with his last to win by a bowl. MAGICAL MÉABH CROWNED CHAMPION AS SHE LANDS ALL-IRELAND U18 TITLE Just like McDonagh, Méabh Cuinnea got off to a blistering start on the outward route from the village, three incredible bowls to the end of the new houses where she had a hundred meters of odds, Cuinnea followed up with another sensational bowl just short of sight at the Quay Wall, O’Reilly done well to keep it under the bowl here but Cuinnea replied with another smashing bowl that cut the left bend and got a big touch off the right dyke. O’Reilly missed this to fall a bowl down. From the Pink Cottage onwards O’Reilly found her grove and lined some perfect shots, but Cuinnea followed and beat them to hold an even bowl at the falling pole. Two uncharacteristic errors from Cuinnea both extremely right of the sop and suddenly this score was going to a last shot. O’Reilly lined her bowl well but just fell short of the finish line and Cuinnea steadied herself and played a perfect shot down the centre to take the title. A reverse of their 2024 meeting when O’Reilly beat Cuinnea in the U-16 All-Ireland at Eglish, Co. Tyrone. STOKES WEARES CARR DOWN TO TAKE INTERMEDIATE TITLE Paddy Stokes was back in another All-Ireland final, having lost the Junior A to Conor McGuigan in 2025, his opponent on this occasion in the Intermediate final was Pete Carr, playing for an astronomical stake of €41,000 a-side, with Stokes a major favourite. This was of very poor standard for the grade. Stokes got a huge first and should have opened the first bend with his second where he would have had an early bowl of odds, but both players were right and had no sight. Carr took his first lead by three meters with a big third. Both players with a right hand pull hit the pillars of Timmy Nuts house with Stokes back in front. Carr got an excellent fifth to Coakleys Lane to win back the lead by a huge eighty meters as Stokes was crazy left and got no rub but recovered well with his sixth to the bridge that reduced Carr’s odds to twenty meters. Nothing between them after their next through An Capaillín Ban cross Carr holding a three meter lead. Stokes got a poor eight that was very left but he got a second attempt at it as his bowl was “called” and his second effort was a much better one. Carr was too tight right and missed tip by eighty meters. After two more to the double gates Carr had the odds back to six meters, Stokes just not pulling away and making bad blunders. Carr’s eleventh wasn’t great but it was enough to win him back the lead by one meter. Carr’s opportunity to rise odds came when Stokes got a poor twelfth to the Pink cottage but he pulled his bowl crazy right and missed the tip by thirty meters. After two more average shots from Stokes he had almost a bowl of odds. Stokes was finishing the better of the two as he went out to the Quay Wall with a bowl and thirty meters. Two more up to the White wall and another out sight for the village where he held a bowl and thirty meters. Carr only made Robins Lock and Stokes took the title. SEXTON'S WAIT GOES ON FOR FIRST SENIOR TITLE Hannah Sexton’s wait goes on for a senior ladies All-Ireland title. On Sunday she played Dervla Mallon Toal who was competing in her tenth Senior All-Ireland and going for a sixth title. They played for a stake of €7,000 as. Sexton took the first shot and Mallon the next two past the white wall where she had fifty meters of odds. Sexton got a massive fourth shot to the end of the new houses that won her back the lead by six meters. After two more out around the quay wall full sight Mallon won back the lead again by three meters. When Sexton lined a perfect seventh well past the post office, fans though it was sure to win back the lead again but Mallon hit a perfect shot down the middle and beat the tip by fifteen meters. Sexton followed up with another excellent shot and Mallon missed this one by ten meters. After eight shots we had five leads. Mallon got a super bowl past the Pink Cottage, Sexton lined hers well but it fell left and Mallon was back in front again. It was hard to believe that Sexton would lead no more in this final. At the junior line in two more Mallon was throwing her odds over thirty meters. After twelve shots each facing down for An Capaillín Ban Cross only twenty meters separated them Mallon fore bowl. The next shots were the deciding factor of the score. Sextons bowl turned in left and got no run off the dyke, in fact it caught a stone and stopped dead. Mallon took a different line and made down through An Capaillín Ban cross an excellent shot. Sexton played her next very well but only beat the tip by twenty five meters, Mallon went over the finish line in two more to take the title. MALACHY LENNON CUP GOES NORTH Introduced in 2025 we had the junior ladies final, played between Rachel Desmond and Alice Mackle, they played for a stake of €10,000 as, with Mackle taking the favourites tag. It was a trap to line victory for Mackle. Four each to the white wall Mackle held a thirty five meter advantage. Mackle extended this to the Quay Wall, from here Desmond let rip her best of the day when she went sight for the straight and brought the odds back to fifteen meters. Mackle upped the ante from here and with every shot raised odds, at the falling pole she threw her odds over twenty five meters and raised the bowl of odds at the Pink Cottage. Try as she might Desmond could not reel Mackle in and her winning margin was one bowl of odds.
The winners of the weekend....
